Lift Me Up
by gingerroot15
Summary: Felix's thirteenth birthday has arrived. Just a little Zarter fluff- also some Felyssa. Set after the Serpent's Shadow.


**A/N: It's totally fluffy! :D Set after ****The Serpent's Shadow****. And, for my sanity and everyone's, let's pretend Alyssa is only three years older than Felix, okay? THREE YEARS ISN'T THAT MUCH. THINK OF FRAZEL.**

Carter glanced out the window. Despite all the rain, it was a great day, Felix's thirteenth birthday. Of course, rainy here was better than clear in Antarctica, he mused.

"Carter?" Felix's bright voice cut through his thoughts. "Can we have the cake now?"

Carter had to smile at this overenthusiasm. Undoubtedly, Felix would go on a sugar high as soon as he tasted the iced treat. "Sure, Felix." He brought out the heavy penguin-shaped cake and set it carefully on the table. "Sadie! Go get a knife and some plates, will you?"

Sadie shrugged and sauntered to the kitchen. She came back with a sharp knife (pointing down, of course) and a stack of paper plates shaped as- what else? - penguins. It seemed that, though Felix was finally a teenager, he still had not outgrown his obsession. Despite all his research, Carter couldn't find who the god of ice was, but Felix had decided to settle for the next closest thing- Tefnut, goddess of moisture.

Felix clapped happily at seeing the cake. "It's awesome!" Carter quickly lit the candles, and all the trainees sang happy birthday at the top of their lungs. It was quite out of tune, but Carter decided not to mention that.

Felix thought for a moment before giving a great gust of breath. He blew out all thirteen candles in one go and grinned.

"What did you wish for?" Alyssa asked eagerly.

"I can't tell you," Felix replied slyly. "Otherwise it won't come true."

"Oh, come on, Felix," the earth elementalist laughed. "Don't tell me you actually believe in that."

Felix shrugged. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

"Just cut the cake!" A voice called from somewhere in the large crowd.

Sadie stepped forward and raised the large knife. Carter was slightly scared for everyone's safety; knowing his sister, she'd miss and hack off a finger by accident. Thankfully, though, the knife landed safely in the cake. Sadie deftly began slicing it into neat rectangles. "Alright, Felix, chocolate or vanilla?"

Felix considered this for a moment before saying, "Half-and-half?"

Sadie rolled her eyes playfully and made sure to give Felix a piece that was swirled with chocolate and vanilla. "You're making me work too hard."

Everyone held their breath as Felix took a bite; he closed his eyes in bliss before they widened as the icing came into effect. "Oh my gods! It's _perfect_! Sadie, give everyone a piece of that _right now._"

Sadie smiled broadly and paper plates of cake began floating to people at random. "My pleasure."

The plate floating near Carter began to head-butt him; it wouldn't stop until he finally snatched it out of the air and stared at Sadie. She shrugged as if to say, _wasn't me._

Carter took a bite of the so-proclaimed 'perfect cake'. It certainly was very good; the vanilla notes in the icing stood out against the slightly bitter cocoa of the cake. It was fresh, moist, and overall, gave Carter the sugar fix he had been looking for. It didn't take him long to finish off the delicious treat, and he was just as eager for more as everyone else.

"There's no more!" Sadie called, fending off the anxious crowd with a plastic fork and her paper plate. "Go socialize or something! No more cake!"

Eventually the message was relayed back to where Carter was, and he made a point to seek out Zia. The disco ball was lowered, the lights were turned down low, and, surprisingly, an old classic Carter had loved as a kid began to play. A lot of the trainees, young and older alike, got up and headed out into the living room, which had been transformed into a dance floor for the time being.

Carter found Zia standing off to the side. "May I have this dance?" He inquired politely.

Zia smiled gently and replied, "Of course. But… where's the music?"

"You don't hear it?" Carter asked, confused. "Um… it's not playing too loudly, but you should still be able to hear it."

Zia listened for a moment before laughing, a sound not unlike tinkling bells. "Oh, I hear it now. But you probably aren't hearing what I am."

"Enchanted stereo?" He guessed. "Yeah, probably not. Actually, what I'm hearing is a good old-fashioned slow dance song."

"I can hear it too," Zia smiled shyly. Carter took her hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist, holding her as a dancing couple would. The dance quickly turned into a kiss, which people all around stopped partying to watch. Carter didn't care. He had never felt as content in his life.

They broke apart and glanced around. Carter's eyes lingered on Felix, who was standing in a secluded corner of the room, talking to Alyssa. Before she realized what had happened, Felix was kissing her, and by the time she was able to comprehend that, he was gone, blushing in the corner Carter and Zia were standing in. "Birthday wish come true?" Carter smiled, referring to what Alyssa had asked about earlier.

"Yeah," Felix sighed. "I just wish I could know whether or not she likes me. I mean, she's amazing, but I have absolutely no clue what she's thinking."

Zia came back with a slight eye roll. "Gods, Felix, you can be so clueless sometimes." She pushed him over to Alyssa and Carter followed, just to catch the witty banter that was sure to follow. If anyone could match wits, it was Alyssa and Felix.

Instead, Alyssa pulled Felix into a kiss of her own. That was met by wolf whistles and cheers of "Go get 'im, girl!"

Sadie grinned. "Perfect! Another couple perfectly matched."

"You do realize that they're three years apart?" Carter pointed out.

Sadie rolled her eyes dramatically. "Please. There are people who date twenty years apart. They're fine, Carter."

And they were, he realized. Everything right then was fine.


End file.
